Shielded floating electric connector

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved floating electric connector comprising male and female counterparts each having a housing and a metal shell. The male housing has a plurality of electric signal transmission male terminals fitted therein whereas the female terminals fitted therein. Each metal shell has a blade contact integrally connected thereto for inserting an associated female terminal. The metal shell-and-blade contact integral structure permits the simultaneous grounding and destaticizing.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a floating electrical connector for floatable mounting to a generally planar member, said generally planar member having at least one mounting aperture therein, said connector including a dielectric body, said body having a generally planar mounting flange, means extending from said flange for floatable mounting of a portion of said body in said aperture, and a terminal-receiving housing projecting from said flange, said housing including a plurality of terminal-receiving apertures with a terminal mounted in each said aperture, and contact portions of said terminals extending away from said flange in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane thereof a predetermined distance, said contact portions of said terminals adapted for mating with complementary terminals of a mating connector, wherein the improvement comprises: a metal shell substantially encircling the center periphery of said housing and extending away from said flange a distance greater than said predetermined distance that the terminals extend away from said flange; and   a generally planar metal blade contact integrally formed with said metal shell and at least a portion of which extends in a direction generally perpendicular to said flange, said blade extending from one side of said flange to the other in order to permit interconnection to a wire on a side of said flange opposite said housing;   wherein said metal blade contact extends through a slot in said flange; and   wherein said housing includes a plurality of walls projecting away from said flange to create a central recess in which a plurality of terminal receiving projections are located, each said terminal receiving projection having a respective said contact portion therein, each said wall including a tapered lead-in surface sloping towards said projections, and said metal shell including at least one resilient, cantilevered spring finger for contacting a metal shell of a complementary mating connector, said spring finger extending along one of said tapered lead-in surfaces and into said recess between one of said walls and said projections.   
     
     
       2. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said metal shell includes a pair of said spring fingers, said spring fingers being positioned in channels in said lead-in surfaces so that top surfaces of said spring fingers are at or below the level of said lead-in surfaces. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector of claim 2 wherein said floatable mounting means includes a support post extending generally perpendicularly from said flange, a pair of inwardly deflectable, spiral vanes extending from opposite sides of said support post.